Community Benefits Agreements- 2024 Project
The Project
The transition to clean energy relies on mining essential metals and rare-earth materials, presenting both opportunities and challenges for local communities. A prominent strategy to ensureequitablebenefits from federal investments involves the use of Community Benefit Plans (CBPs) and Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) between industry firms and local entities.
Despite an extensive and growing literature on mining-CBAs, there is a lack of support for CBA creation in new mining regions, leaving communities without necessary resources. This project will fill this gap by providing training andassistanceto local communities, governments, students, and academics in developing effective CBAs for new mining projects. The project includes in-person activities, manuals, and technicalassistance, alltailored to critical minerals and mining.
The Impact
- This team is partnering with graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in a course focused on economic geology to expand applied learning and project participation.
- A beta version of an interactive spatial tool has been developed. This tool maps active lode mineral claims and company information using BLM data.
- A database of 40+ existing CBA toolkits and templates has been developed to inform program design.
Interactive Mapping Tool coming soon!
Meet the Team
Jackson Rose
Leads project coordination and the development of translational tools and training around CBAs drawing on both scholarly research and practical negotiation experience. He also leads the design of pilot workshops that translate CBA concepts into practical guidance for communities, students, and professionals engaged in critical minerals development.
Eric Sproles
Contributes strategic insight on environmental systems and community-based resource management. His experience in hydrology and sustainability informs the project’s integration of ecological and social considerations.
Zachary Burton
Provides expertise in critical minerals and mining-sector engagement, integrating geoscientific insight with community and industry perspectives. He contributes to stakeholder coordination and the development of pilot workshops that connect research, policy, and practice in the context of CBAs for critical minerals projects.
Madison Myers
Offers geological and geochemical expertise on critical element concentration and mapping. She provides strategic guidance to ensure the project’s technical and industry engagement components align with ongoing research and EPSCoR collaborations in Montana and Alaska.
Julia Hagerty
Provides strategic guidance on stakeholder engagement and translational design. Drawing on her expertise in energy policy and community development, she helps shape the project’s approach to training, partnership building, and regional implementation.
Alex Miller
Supports data acquisition, analysis, and development of the spatial tool focused on active lode claims and company information. He also helps design and implement pilot CBA workshops, translating project research into applied training materials for students and community stakeholders.
The Journey
"Through this project,we’reworking toward bridging geoscience research, community engagement, and student training around mining and critical minerals. With NSF’s support,we’redeveloping the foundation for tools and workshops that help communities and scientists navigate community benefit agreements more effectively."
-Jackson Rose
